Pan's box turtle description

Pan's box turtle is a freshwater Asian turtle. It was first described in 1984 (3), and has a brownish, fairly low-domed shell (carapace) (4). As with all members of this genus there are hinges at both ends of the plastron, which enable these turtles to fully seal themselves within their shell (5). This ability has given rise to the common name of 'box turtle'.

Pan's box turtle status

Pan's box turtle threats

Many of the Asian turtles, including Pan's box turtle, are severely threatened by the over-collection of both adults and eggs. The popularity of turtle meat, once considered a luxury, increased dramatically in the 1990s, due in part to growing economies across Asia. This market has decimated native populations, which are unable to sustain the demand and, coupled with habitat loss, has pushed many species to the brink of extinction (6).

Pan's box turtle conservation

In recognition of the precarious state of the population of Pan's box turtle, the World Conservation Union (IUCN) classifies this species as Critically Endangered (1). International trade is restricted by the listing of this turtle of Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) (2), but further research is desperately needed before more effective conservation measures can be put into place.

Authentication

Glossary

Carapace

The top shell of a turtle. In arthropods (insects, crabs etc), the fused head and thorax (the part of the body located near the head) also known as ‘cephalothorax’.

Genus

A category used in taxonomy, which is below 'family' and above 'species'. A genus tends to contain species that have characteristics in common. The genus forms the first part of a 'binomial' Latin species name; the second part is the specific name.

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